Totally agree. Parenting is a huge factor. When the parents don't give a shit about how the kid behaves and the teachers have little power to control them either, then it becomes a serious problem.
People are able to have children whenever they want, but they have no idea how to be parents. And then you factor in the huge numbers of broken families. The family unit is still very strong in Korea and causing shame to the family is a serious thing. Strong parents and strong teachers mean a society that is relatively free from the menace of rampaging criminal teenagers. It is somewhat authoritarian and has its downsides, but the positives are there to be seen. In the West we have gone too far towards compassion and giving children the cushion to do what they like when they like and we are paying the penalties. Of course, not all parents are bad, but there seem to be too many who are either not in control or else just don't care about being mature responsible parents.
Bookmarks